6 Conservation Successes That Brought Animals Back from the Brink

Around the world, hundreds—if not thousands—of species of plants and animals are endangered and many, many, more are threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, hunting, and climate change. Every year, more species move to the very brink of extinction and, unfortunately, several vanish from the planet forever.

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As pressures continue to mount, conservationists fight a relentlessly uphill battle to preserve the planet's biodiversity. And, in spite of these noble efforts, species still loose their footing—and their chances for survival—at an astonishing rate.

Still, when it comes to conservation, it's not all bad news. Around the world, programs have stopped the destruction of critical habitats and brought critically depleted species back from points where hope seemed foolish.

Here are six conservation programs that have actually worked:

6. Bald Eagle

Early surveys in the 1700s estimated the bald eagle population in North America to be as large as 300,000 to 500,000 individuals. As a result of numerous pressures—namely DDT pollution—the population was reduced to only 412 nesting pairs in the 1950s.

Through a series of legislation in the 1970s, protections for the eagle—including increased penalties for poaching—were extended and, in 1972, the ban on the use of DDT helped secure what little habit remained for the iconic bird.

Through captive-breeding and rehabilitation programs, the bald eagle population in the United States increased until it rose over 100,000 individuals in the 1990s. By 1995, the population was robust enough that the species was removed from the Endangered Species List.

5. US Fish Stocks The depletion of fish stocks by overfishing jeopardizes the biodiversity of the oceans but it also costs money—$50 billion annually, according to a UN report released in 2008. Still, some species continue to be fished towards extinction, a practice that ripples through entire ecosystems. Controlling wasteful and destructive fishing practices, however, has a significant impact on the survival of populations. Since implementing conservation programs and legislation to curb overfishing, stocks in the United States have begun to rebuild. In fact, in a 2009 report, NOAA found four previously threatened species had rebuilt healthy populations. The recent report showed that, thanks to conservation programs that work with fisherman and fisheries managers, 85 percent of surveyed stocks were free from overfishing. 4. Reforestation in China More than a century of unregulated, high-intensity, logging in China left huge areas of the country barren and dry. The resulting landslides, dust storms, droughts, and desertification posed serious threats to the country's population and economy. Then, in 2002, China decided to combat the problem with a massive reforestation project. With a goal of planting trees across five percent of the country—an area roughly the size of California—the ambitious project expected to cost billions of dollars. Eight years into the 10 year project, China is still working towards the goal of planting 440,000 square kilometers of new forest, making it the largest reforestation project in history. 3. American Bison At the time of European settlement of North America, the bison population on the great plains was estimated in the tens of millions. Through habitat destruction and hunting, these great herds were almost completely eliminated. Between 1868 and 1881, at least 31 million bison were slaughtered by hunters and fur traders. By the 1890s, fewer than 750 individuals were left. Though it would be several years before they were assisted by the United States government, conservationist began working to save this small population at the end of the 19th century. Today, thanks to conservation and reintroduction programs—and the development of a bison-meat industry—the population has rebounded to more than 350,000 individuals. 2. Southern White Rhino At the end of the 1800s, the southern white rhino was declared extinct. Then, a small group of less than 50 individuals was discovered in South Africa. By placing the surviving population in new protected areas and private ranches, conservationists were able to rebuild the population. Recent surveys estimate that more than 17,000 individuals now live in the wild. Reviving a sustainable population from a species that was once thought extinct is an incredible achievement—and certainly one of the greatest successes in the history of conservation. 1. Global Marine Reserves Threatened by ocean acidification, overfishing, changing ocean temperatures, and pollution, marine and reef ecosystems are among the planet's most fragile. Centuries of abuse has created dead zones in the ocean and when it comes to pollution, well, things are still looking grim. But efforts to protect reefs and marine ecosystems have already yielded huge results. In the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, for example, the establishment of "no take zones"—where fishing is prohibited—across just 32 percent of the area, has allowed fish densities to double. Other studies have showed that marine reserves allow reefs to recover from the damage caused by ocean acidification. Though these reserves protect only a small portion of the world's oceans, their clear impact—indeed the impact of all conservation areas—shows that such efforts are essential for the survival of the planet's many threatened species and ecosystems.